Post by yeson321 on Apr 3, 2008 14:02:43 GMT -6
I was just over on the "green" board reading through an interesting thread on the transportation costs of the third high school at AME/MWGEN and the transportation savings if the third high school would have been located at Brach-Brodie. (I again ditto any comments about the positive combining of boards to save the copying of good information.) Basically, here are the highlights of the points made thus far from my read:
Bruce Glawe did a transportation analysis as part of the rationale for Boundary Option 5A at Brach-Brodie. “Option 5A will significantly lower the total commuting miles traveled each day from the current 38,282 miles to approximately 34,828 miles for a decrease of 9%. “ (Directly from the district website and is listed at the end for your reference.)
The question was raised asking why a similar analysis has not been provided as a “selling” point for AME/MWGEN and the general conclusion was because there is not a similar cost savings, and most likely there is an increase in transportation costs.
Total transportation costs are $11.3 M per year. So the savings would have over $1,000,000 per year based on mileage if the high school was built at Brach-Brodie.
Although the administration has not provided the facts, AME/MWGEN includes an increase in transportation costs, based on additional buses and more long routes because it is away from population center.
Another note on the “green board” was that you need to make an assumption about the percentage of busing that is related to high school (to account for walkers at ES and MS) – an estimate of 50% seems reasonable. That would mean that Brach-Brodie would have saved at least $500,000 per year based on the current costs.
To get total increased transportation costs by building at AME/MWGEN, an increase in costs over the current costs needs to be factored in. A “conservative” estimate (could be higher) seemed to have been that AME/MWGEN would add 3%.
In summary, the 9% BB savings needs to be added to the 3% INCREASE at AME/MWGEN for a total of 12% difference that has not been accounted for anywhere on the cost analysis between the two sites. All the charts that have been provided only account for fixed costs upon the opening of the third high school between BB and AME/MWGEN. It is clear that the SB should be providing the entire financial projection during the operation of the third high school, not just a snap-shot.
More from the green board, using my summary of words/ideas: If the cost difference between BB and AME/MWGEN is really $13.1M for a 2009 opening, that cost savings is gone in roughly 15 years (using the increase in fuel and inflation vs. the interest on $13M as being a wash). Also by the same token, if the cost savings is only $3M-$5M for a 2010 opening, that savings is gone around the time the freshman class graduates, then the AME/MWGEN site becomes more expensive.
I would appreciate any comments or different impressions of what was said on the "green" board. Bottom line, IMHO, I think that the SB should be requiring a more rigorous financial analysis before spending $150,000,000.
www.ipsd.org/documents/Summary5A_REV.pdf
Summary of High School Boundary Option 5A
• This option was created by applying the criteria used by the School Board to look at the
merits of various boundary options.
• Based upon feedback received from the community, geography was given a higher weight in
applying those criteria but it was coupled with an effort to balance academic achievement.
• This option balances enrollment appropriately based upon the capacity of the three high
schools.
• All existing walkers remain walkers
• Option 5A does the best job of minimizing the number of schools and children moved.
• Option 5A moves 7 schools – the lowest of any options that were considered.
• Only 1 school is split – the 60 children in Chesapeake Landings from McCarty will walk to
the new school and not attend Waubonsie.
• Option 5A moves 3,407 children (34% of the total)
• For Option 5A, 4 schools will cross railroad tracks to get to and from their schools –
Brookdale, Peterson, Gombert, and McCarty.
• The geographic map for Option 5A is understandable and straightforward with most
elementary schools being contiguous with other elementary schools that feed each high
school except for Peterson and Brookdale.
• Using ISAT scores, the academic achievement gap, which is currently 7.4%, is narrowed to
5.0%.
• Using All-State scores, the academic achievement gap, which is currently 8.0%, is narrowed
to 5.3%.
• Option 5A will significantly lower the total commuting miles traveled each day from the
current 38,282 miles to approximately 34,828 miles for a decrease of 9%. This will result in
time and fuel savings for both the district and for families. The weighted average commute in
miles for the district will be 2.7 miles from each elementary school to its high school.
• Waubonsie will have 5 Aurora elementary schools and 2 Naperville schools assigned to it.
The new high school will have 2 Aurora schools and 5 Naperville schools assigned to it.
Neuqua will have 7 Naperville schools and 1 Bolingbrook school assigned to it.
Bruce Glawe did a transportation analysis as part of the rationale for Boundary Option 5A at Brach-Brodie. “Option 5A will significantly lower the total commuting miles traveled each day from the current 38,282 miles to approximately 34,828 miles for a decrease of 9%. “ (Directly from the district website and is listed at the end for your reference.)
The question was raised asking why a similar analysis has not been provided as a “selling” point for AME/MWGEN and the general conclusion was because there is not a similar cost savings, and most likely there is an increase in transportation costs.
Total transportation costs are $11.3 M per year. So the savings would have over $1,000,000 per year based on mileage if the high school was built at Brach-Brodie.
Although the administration has not provided the facts, AME/MWGEN includes an increase in transportation costs, based on additional buses and more long routes because it is away from population center.
Another note on the “green board” was that you need to make an assumption about the percentage of busing that is related to high school (to account for walkers at ES and MS) – an estimate of 50% seems reasonable. That would mean that Brach-Brodie would have saved at least $500,000 per year based on the current costs.
To get total increased transportation costs by building at AME/MWGEN, an increase in costs over the current costs needs to be factored in. A “conservative” estimate (could be higher) seemed to have been that AME/MWGEN would add 3%.
In summary, the 9% BB savings needs to be added to the 3% INCREASE at AME/MWGEN for a total of 12% difference that has not been accounted for anywhere on the cost analysis between the two sites. All the charts that have been provided only account for fixed costs upon the opening of the third high school between BB and AME/MWGEN. It is clear that the SB should be providing the entire financial projection during the operation of the third high school, not just a snap-shot.
More from the green board, using my summary of words/ideas: If the cost difference between BB and AME/MWGEN is really $13.1M for a 2009 opening, that cost savings is gone in roughly 15 years (using the increase in fuel and inflation vs. the interest on $13M as being a wash). Also by the same token, if the cost savings is only $3M-$5M for a 2010 opening, that savings is gone around the time the freshman class graduates, then the AME/MWGEN site becomes more expensive.
I would appreciate any comments or different impressions of what was said on the "green" board. Bottom line, IMHO, I think that the SB should be requiring a more rigorous financial analysis before spending $150,000,000.
www.ipsd.org/documents/Summary5A_REV.pdf
Summary of High School Boundary Option 5A
• This option was created by applying the criteria used by the School Board to look at the
merits of various boundary options.
• Based upon feedback received from the community, geography was given a higher weight in
applying those criteria but it was coupled with an effort to balance academic achievement.
• This option balances enrollment appropriately based upon the capacity of the three high
schools.
• All existing walkers remain walkers
• Option 5A does the best job of minimizing the number of schools and children moved.
• Option 5A moves 7 schools – the lowest of any options that were considered.
• Only 1 school is split – the 60 children in Chesapeake Landings from McCarty will walk to
the new school and not attend Waubonsie.
• Option 5A moves 3,407 children (34% of the total)
• For Option 5A, 4 schools will cross railroad tracks to get to and from their schools –
Brookdale, Peterson, Gombert, and McCarty.
• The geographic map for Option 5A is understandable and straightforward with most
elementary schools being contiguous with other elementary schools that feed each high
school except for Peterson and Brookdale.
• Using ISAT scores, the academic achievement gap, which is currently 7.4%, is narrowed to
5.0%.
• Using All-State scores, the academic achievement gap, which is currently 8.0%, is narrowed
to 5.3%.
• Option 5A will significantly lower the total commuting miles traveled each day from the
current 38,282 miles to approximately 34,828 miles for a decrease of 9%. This will result in
time and fuel savings for both the district and for families. The weighted average commute in
miles for the district will be 2.7 miles from each elementary school to its high school.
• Waubonsie will have 5 Aurora elementary schools and 2 Naperville schools assigned to it.
The new high school will have 2 Aurora schools and 5 Naperville schools assigned to it.
Neuqua will have 7 Naperville schools and 1 Bolingbrook school assigned to it.
